


last night

by keizh



Category: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2
Genre: Drinking, Friendship/Love, Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-04
Updated: 2017-02-23
Packaged: 2018-07-28 20:32:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7655707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keizh/pseuds/keizh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fumi, Otome and Makoto walk into a bar. And then another. And then another.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. the first

**Author's Note:**

> basically, i just want to write them talking about random things and being close prior to game timeline. the world needs more jp's trio. please give me more........  
> also, it's been awhile since i've written anything and first time writing anyone really so hopefully this isn't too atrocious lmao

[Hey Mako, drinks at 2100 with Otome.]

[Today?]

[Yes, don't be late or it's your treat.]

[I'll try my best.]

[Otome will text you the location. See you there.]

With that, Makoto put away her phone, unable to really hide the small smile on her face. She couldn't help being amused by the threat of having to pay for the outing since that is what usually happened anyway. Regardless of whether she arrived late or not, one of the two women always found a way to bully her into paying the bill. Of course, that meant any of the after-parties were on them, though.

Whenever they did arrange for a small get together like this, Makoto found the day passed even slower than usual somehow. Generally, her mind focused on work and work alone, and before she knew it, it was already evening and there was still more to be done. Honestly, a lot of it could wait until the next day, but being the overachiever that she was, the woman would often find herself working long into the night. Of course, Otome would get after her upon finding out the next day after probably having just gotten after Fumi for doing the same thing. However, if the nurse was in the area, she would wind up just supplying one or the other with some sort of energy drink or coffee (be it in person or through coworkers) to help get them through the day a little longer.

Today, though, she felt like time was practically inching by at a snail's pace. Ah well, perhaps if she found something requiring enough concentration, the hours might pass more quickly. If anything, someone would call her and soon her mind would zero in on the task at hand once again. As soon as that thought appeared, her ring-tone went off.

_\---_

_Ahhh, guess it's settled I'm paying from the start_ , Makoto thought as she hustled along the sidewalk, giving a small glance at her phone.

2142\. Not too bad considering she had gotten a bit distracted by combing over some reports that had come in before she had planned to leave. Plus, she had given up on the idea of even bothering to get undressed from her work uniform to save time and get there sooner. Surely, it would have been at least another 20 minutes before she got there if she stopped to change.

Her phone had been buzzing the whole time, each with a new message from Fumi and Otome as it seemed they had resumed another group chat.

[You're late.]

[yayay Makoto's paying ♥]

[I hope you worked enough overtime for this.]

[should we go to a 3rd after party?]

[More like a 5th.]

[Makoto's rich wwww]

Makoto could feel the dread creeping down her face in the form of sweat as she hurriedly mashed out her own indecipherable message.

[NO5T HERe]

Not a moment later had she burst into the izakaya, looking as though she had just sprint the last leg there (which she had, but very suddenly and perhaps a little too quickly). Catching her breath, she politely engaged with one of the waiters and was lead to a small enclave further in. Ducking in under the thin curtain "door", she was met with a rather smug smirk on Fumi's face, "I hope you don't mind we already started," and Otome's usual beaming smile, "Ah, wearing your favorite outfit, hm?"

"Sorry, I didn't have time to change." The answer is no different than the other times.

"Are you sure you don't need to go clothes shopping soon? There was a place down the street that had some nice tops!"

"Yeah, when's the last time you did buy anything nice for yourself?"

"I bought dessert a couple days ago, didn't I?"

"Ah, that's Mako for you.”

“We should shop together again~! It's been awhile. Plus, I don't think Makoto would bother otherwise, right?”

“H-hey, I shop sometimes...”

“If it's stockings, that still doesn't count.”

“Or sports bras.”

“All underwear is out of the question.”

“Y-you guys, stop it already..”

Makoto could feel the heat at her cheeks from rising embarrassment despite an amused smile on her lips. As Fumi took a swig of her beverage, Otome began to pour Makoto a drink, then refilled Fumi's and finally her own. They each took their glass and raised it, resounding a loud “Cheers!” before knocking back their drinks. Each of their cups hit the table in unison afterwards.

Soon enough, they had ordered food and plenty of drinks as they spoke of various topics mostly related to work and some not so work-related. It was never much different than any other time they were together. In fact, Makoto was sure they had told many versions of some of the same stories, but they never really tired of hearing the next take on it. Otome always had additional details that were overlooked before and Fumi generally had a new point to make regarding it. As for Makoto, the other two really had to pry a good tale out of her since the woman often contented herself with just listening to her two friends ramble.

“So who gave you those reports you mentioned before?” Fumi inquired with a rather broad smile as though she some sort of hunch as to what this was about.

“A-ah, Ooojima... Norie, was it?” Makoto rattled off a couple more alternative names within her memory before deciding it might be better to just provide a description of said person instead. “One of the newer members at the Tokyo branch who joined within the last month. A little shy and rather nervous, I think, but I usually see her running errands or shadowing other employees for training. From the exchanges we've had, she does take her job seriously so there is promise there as with most of our recruits. Unfortunately, I don't think she received much recognition from her previous-”

At that point, Otome couldn't help but chuckle a little at her friend's attempt at describing a person. It was so like her to describe everything but their appearance. Fumi just looked as though her own suspicions on the matter had been confirmed, broad smile now looking more smug.

“Did I say something funny?” Makoto noticed the two exchanging bemused looks.

“Not at all,” Fumi took a sip of her beer, leaving Otome to explain further.

“Mmm, I wonder why Norie gets so nervous around you, hm, Makoto?” Otome was trying to be careful with how she phrased it.

“Around me? What do you mean? Isn't she nervous around everyone?” Makoto was truly lost as to what Otome was trying to get at, recalling her encounter from just about an hour ago with a rather flushed looking Norie who accidentally stuttered when trying to get Makoto's attention.

Fumi kept sipping at her beverage, watching Makoto with a great deal of amusement gleaming in her eyes.

“Makoto, Norie's not at all nervous around me... or the other employees from what I've gathered from my visit so far. In fact, it's hard for me to imagine her being that nervous,” Otome picked up her half-filled glass and brought it to her lips.

The expression on Makoto's face showed clear confusion and slight concern, her gaze lowering from her friend's face down to her drink. What did that mean? The only Norie that Makoto knew was the one who couldn't help but fidget while addressing her superior. How strange it was that Otome had a completely different image of the same person. It didn't make sense.

After Otome had finished quenching her thirst, the blonde busied herself with refilling Makoto's nearly empty glass and Fumi's as well since the woman had just finished hers off. Fumi took the opportunity to add her two cents in on the matter.

“She's infatuated with you,” Fumi couldn't help but put it bluntly, knowing all too well her friend might struggle for awhile to connect the dots here.

At that, Makoto immediately looked up with a questioning expression as though to ask for Fumi to repeat the statement as, surely, she must have heard incorrectly. However, Fumi just shrugged and took a bite of food. The confused adult then moved her attention onto Otome who simply pointed at Fumi while nodding in agreement. The information took a moment to sink in fully as heat slowly started to creep up Makoto's face. She felt as though maybe the restaurant could stand to lower the heat a few notches despite the season. She couldn't be the only one feeling uncomfortably warm right now.

“D-doyoureallythinkso? M-Maybe, she's just scared of me o-or something! It's happened before with some of the others, too - they're all nervous around me.... I must be intimidating, maybeit'smyheightormyvoice,” Makoto's voice trailed off into a mumble, focusing in on the glass in front of her as she had completely forgotten that Otome had refilled it. The woman quickly took to sipping nervously at the drink, hoping to quiet herself a little in order to calm down.

“Intimidated, huh?” Fumi mused, observing Makoto briefly before shaking her head. “If we put them all in front of the chief, maybe then you would see the difference between intimidated and absolutely smitten.”

“A-ah, yes, I suppose you're right about that. The chief can be scary to anyone who isn't used to him yet...”

“But I'm sure if you were there, Makoto, they would feel relieved,” Otome added with a wink. “I know I feel comfortable and safe with you around, anyway.”

Makoto blushed at the compliment as a warm smile came upon her face. “W-well, I would hope you feel comfortable around me since we are friends after all.”

“Of course. I'm sure the chief feels the same way about you, too, Mako,” Fumi teased, grinning in satisfaction as their little moment was interrupted by Makoto sputtering out various beginning of “no” and “what are you saying” and so on.

Laughter resounded from Fumi and Otome as their poor tormented friend sighed in defeat, rubbing her face some to try and rid herself of some of the embarrassment. How was it that these two always managed to figure out a way to tire her so quickly? Though, as much energy that they required of Makoto, the woman knew full well that she would never trade it for a relaxing night in by herself if she had the choice. Too large of a portion of her life had been spent that way after all.

Plus, since they were friends, they knew perfectly well the limits of playful teasing between the three of them. Ever since they had been first introduced to each other, it was as though they had an innate understanding of one another well enough to skip past the usual trial and error of building a lasting friendship. Perhaps, it was due to their own maturity stemmed from hardships they had experience prior to their recruitment or perhaps it was simply the fact that their personalities just so happened to be natural complements. Regardless, it was undeniable that their relationship was completely unlike any of their prior relationships.

“A-anyway, I don't think they all necessarily have... 'crushes' on me...” Makoto felt silly saying such a thing. Crossing her arms, the adult mulled over it a little more in her head. Her hands grew somewhat clammy as she recalled past interactions with other new employees. Her memories were only proving that Fumi and Otome might have a point as much as Makoto didn't want to accept it.

“There is safety in knowing it's unreciprocated. I'm sure if you showed any indication of acting on their interest, they would either immediately shy away from interacting with you or rapidly lose interest. Pretty predictable.”

“As expected, Fumi's an expert on love!” Otome chimed, which garnered a bit of a satisfied smile from the scientist for as much as she could go on at length about the reasoning and theories of attraction, she was aware that, perhaps, her emotional cognition in regards to the subject was a little lacking.

There was a short moment of silence as Makoto reflected on the idea of people having crushes on her. It didn't matter so much the genders or orientations of those around her so it wasn't as though that was what was weighing down on her. However, it was the idea of not being able to properly recognize their feelings and respond appropriately that was troubling her some. Even in the past, she had never known how to really react. Maybe, it was time that she get some advice for once.

“S-so say they are interested in me, what am I supposed to do exactly?”

“What do you meant?” “Do you like any of them?” They both spoke at once.

“I can't say I like anyone in particular, but I'm just wondering what you would do in my situation if that's the case.”

“Ahhh,” their voices were in sync once again which made Makoto sweat a little. They were on a completely different page than she was, that much was apparent.

Little did Makoto know that Otome and Fumi had discussed the pattern of newcomers falling a bit head over heels for their friend. In fact, it was a bit surprising that they had managed to keep quiet about it for this long.

“I think Otome might know more about that part than I would,” Fumi looked over at the blonde, curious as to her answer.

“Hmmmmm, well.... I've had a couple crushes on people before so I suppose I might be able to give some insight, but not everyone thinks the same way. With that said, though, I don't think you have to do anything, Makoto. Just keep being the same way you usually are since that is what they like about you, no? Of course, that is unless you want them to stop liking you.”

“O-oh, n-no, I'm okay with it! I-it's just...”

“How to let them down gently?” Makoto nodded at Fumi's question which prompted Otome to continue speaking.

“If you think about it, the previous people who were interested in you don't act the same way anymore, do they? I suppose you can say that people will figure out a way to let themselves down in place of others in order to cope with what they think is unattainable. Makoto's a nice person, though, so even if any of them tell you directly, I doubt you would be anything but kind and accepting towards them which is all that's necessary really. Just because you don't love them back doesn't mean you need to treat them any differently than before or anything."

“Who's the expert now, hm?” Fumi leaned her head to the side, closer to Otome.

“Not expert, just assistant to the expert!” Otome set her finger against the other woman's head and playfully pushed her away.

Makoto seemed to be following along, but looked a little uncertain of the whole discussion. Despite not being “experienced” as they so often claimed, her friends knew a good deal more than she did in regards to romance. Even in high school, Makoto had been rather dense about people who tried to express more than just a friendly interest in her. Whenever her friends did tell her the truth of it, she had always felt so overwhelmed and confused. While she no longer felt so overcome by such revelations anymore, the confused part still had not changed.

“I guess, it's hard for me to understand since I haven't had a real interest in anyone,” Makoto didn't think about it much. If she were to be honest though, the two in front of her were the closest she came to really genuinely “loving” anyone outside of her own family.

“It's okay, you're not alone! It just happens when it happens. Some people have it often and others rarely, if at all. I know it's been awhile since I've had an interest in anyone-” Fumi quickly interjected with a “same” to which Otome patted Fumi's head before continuing. “And honestly, I don't think a lot of people know what their feelings mean a lot of the time so it's perfectly natural to not really know what to do!”

“Having crushes sounds like more trouble than it's worth,” Fumi commented dryly. “It's far more entertaining to just observe.”

“I can't wait until Fumi falls in love with someone,” Otome nudged against her friend playfully.

“As if,” Fumi gave no real reaction to Otome wiggling against her.

Makoto just smiled at the two, feeling a familiar warmth spread from the top of her head to the back of her neck. Or maybe that was just the alcohol. The adult checked her phone for the time as she listened to the two's chatter. “Ah, it's nearly 2300.” Where had the time gone?

“Already?”

“We did start a bit later than usual,” Fumi quickly finished the rest of her beer.

“I guess, we'll be getting to karaoke at peak hours. I hope we can get a room. I can pay here if you guys want to get a cab,” Makoto offered.

“Ah, it's okay, Makoto~ We already took care of it.”

“Really? But I thought I was paying because I was late.”

“If you really want to pay, you can make it up by going shopping with us before we have to go back to our respective branches.”

“Ooooh~ good idea, Fumi!”

The two began shooting off ideas of where to go for shopping, leaving Makoto to listen with amusement. They all left the table upon gathering their things.

Otome and Fumi wandered off to the restroom while Makoto went outside and called their usual go-to place for karaoke to see about making a reservation there. It was the least she could do considering that her friends had paid for the first stint of the night. As soon as she got off the phone, Fumi approached.

“Was that for the cab?”

“Not yet, but I got us a room. We'll walk to the main road to get a cab when Otome comes out.”

“Sounds good. Thanks for setting it up, Mako.”

“I should be the one thanking you two.”

“Not necessary. You usually get the first one anyway. The order's just been mixed. I'll be getting the third if Otome doesn't fall asleep by then.”

As though on cue, Otome rushed out the door to them, apologizing quickly for making them wait. They began walking along the narrow street to the more major one a little down the way. At that point, Otome had interlocked her arms with Makoto and Fumi at her sides, partially for stability and partially just because she enjoyed their closeness especially in the chilly weather. Makoto couldn't quite hide the shivers that ran through her body due to a lack of a proper coat and Fumi had also pressed herself pretty closely against Otome because, well, just because she could.

Nothing was said as they continued along, each too busy thinking about the possibilities for the rest of the evening, of what else they could potentially laugh and talk about. Regardless of what they managed to fit in or not fit in, there would be plenty of other occasions to spend together just like this. There was no doubt about that.

It was strange how on nights such as this, the weight of their existences felt amplified by the feeling of their shoulders pressed together as the mild noises of traffic and chirping of crosswalk signs drifted through the still air. It felt as though every sense was acutely aware of each and every step, of every detail passing by, as though every sensation needed to be stowed away somewhere for future reference. Only certain snippets would remain in the forefront of their memories, of course, to be remembered with a heartfelt fondness should they have a moment to idly think back to such a time.

This night, this moment, and all of the moments to come; it would all wind up in their never-ending backlog of little things to be remembered and eventually forgotten, just as they would be forgotten by the world at large in the end.

That was okay, though, because at least they were together in the present moment with arms securely linked. That was all that mattered.

 


	2. the next

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> well, i had like 80% of this written for a long time bc i am bad at wrapping up for endings... it's still pretty meh, but all i wanted to write was the dialogue essentially so i apologize for the sudden... end. anyway, i meant for this to be 3 parts, buuuuut perhaps just this much is fine.

By the time the trio of women had reach their usual karaoke place, it was apparent the night was at its peak. They settled on renting the room out for about an hour, deciding to forego the two hour special that was available on account of trying to actually get back at a reasonable hour. Maybe this time they would be in bed by two instead of four and perhaps considerably more sober than other nights.

They headed off to the elevator, heading up to the 5th floor and down the hall past rooms of muffled excitement and questionable singing ability. Otome was practically bouncing with excitement as this was one of her favorite parts of being with her two favorite people. Fumi was also pretty pumped about the entire thing since it wasn't exactly a hobby of hers, but she did enjoy trying her hand at singing when the chance presented itself. Makoto mostly felt a nervous excitement as she generally felt when it came to subjecting her two friends to her "sub-par" voice as she had called it once. Really, though, none of them cared because it was just fun.

"I've been wanting to do this one song so bad, recently! Maybe, you've heard it already. It's kind of popular with the younger crowd, I think," Otome said as they entered into their room.

"What is it, Flying Get?"

"No, but OH, that's a good one! We should sing that one!"

"Ah, is that the one with the dance?"

"Mako, they all have dances. You're gonna have to demonstrate for us which dance you're talking about," Fumi poked her in the side playfully.

"D-demonstrate? W-well..." Makoto began to try and remember as best she could exactly what she had seen about this song.

Her arms moved awkwardly as she tried to figure out how to show it the way it played in her head, which was pretty spot on for having only seen it a couple times. Soon enough though, she managed to loosen up a little and managed to move her hands in the way she wanted, before leading up to the more recognizable choreography. Otome burst into laughter when the woman did a lunge forward and raised her arms to create a nice V shape with her hands palms down as she squeaked out "f-flying GET" in a questioning tone. Fumi couldn't help but join in Otome's laughter as Makoto turned redder by the second, quickly standing tall and mumbling something like "o-or something like that anyway."

"I certainly don't recall THAT move being there, but still... are you sure you haven't been practicing?" Otome latched onto Makoto gently as they shut the door behind them.

"Let's save that energy for the real deal here, eh, Mako?" Fumi grinned at her as she took a seat and started to search for the night's beginning track.

At this point, they had a bit of a routine built up for whenever they did go out to karaoke with each other. Otome had provided the great idea of trying to learn the dance for at least one of the songs to perform at some point which the other two did not at all bother to fight against as they had been so far inebriated by that point they were open to her suggestions. It was not until the next time they had gone out that they had tried to back out of the entire thing, but Otome had somehow managed to further convince them it would be fun.

Fumi wasn't the biggest fan of dances and the like, but she supposed it would be beneficial to at least partake in this activity as it meant she would get to see comedy gold. At least, it was certainly worth the couple hours she spent trying to get down some ridiculous routine for their entertainment.

However, would this ever become a hobby of hers? The adult scoffed inwardly at the image, scrolling through the 'top hits' section of the catalog.

"Ah, Mako, it's the song you were talking about," Fumi's finger hovered over the 'add to list' function.

"You mean Otome's? She's the one who-" Makoto cut herself off suddenly as the receiving end of her call had picked up and she proceeded to put in a drink order for them: waters, a melon soda, iced black coffee and a hot tea. 

"Given your demonstration earlier, I'd say you know it just as well."

Makoto cast a mild, petulant look over to Fumi at that and gave a small wave of her hand to signal a pass on the song. 

"Oh, Mako! Wait, I'd also like a coffee instead of tea please!" 

Makoto nodded that she got the message and quickly amended the request accordingly. Soon enough she finished with the usual formalities and hung up the phone. Taking a seat next to the other two, she peered at the touch screen that Fumi was currently inputting another search into. 

"So Otome and I have been practicing this - I hope you're prepared."

"Oh no... a dual performance?" Makoto had not expected this

"Next time we should do a group one," Otome piped up as she grabbed a tambourine and shook it excitedly.

"For who?"

"For us, silly!"

"Maybe at the next end of year party, but I will leave it to you two. I think I'll just sit back and enjoy the show."

Fumi smugly looked off elsewhere which warranted a playful shove from Otome who gave a small shriek of "Fumi!" in jest, while Makoto flew into a flurry of voiced concerns about the idea.

The adults continued their circle of jovial banter as Fumi entered in a couple songs and finally passed off the control to Makoto. Both Fumi and Otome grabbed a microphone each and stood at the front of the room as the song started, exchanging a smile before they broke into simultaneous shimmying accompanied by the jingling of Otome's tambourine. Makoto sat back into the seat, attention fully focused on the two as they wiggled around, voices clearly resonating throughout the room. At times, she couldn't help but laugh as they worked in harmony, moving their arms as rehearsed and sometimes forgetting the routine which resulted in one of them trying to mask a giggle and mischievously bumping against the other in an attempt to 'get back'. By the last minute of the song though, their routine had devolved into the both of them no longer dancing or singing as they had been bowled over by a case of laughter that had stemmed from Otome accidentally tripping onto Fumi as the two shrilly tried to keep spouting lyrics throughout. Their unceasing cackling had caught up with Makoto as well as she was wiping tears from her eyes by the end of it and doing her best to catch her breath.

It was then that they received their drinks at the door, struggling to recover composure enough to not simply break into another fit of giggles over every little thing that stirred even the slightest bit of amusement. The struggle to remain calm proved futile once Makoto handed them their drinks, voice cracking at the mention of Otome's name, leading to Fumi's smile growing ever broader. It took them a few more cycles of wheezing and pleading for each other to stop making each other laugh before they managed to get it out of their systems fully. 

By that time, one song had already started playing and was about nearly through so they took the time to drink some of their beverages and figure out some more songs to put into the lineup, all of them piping in at some point with suggestions. Each of them took their respective turns with the microphones, resulting in such highlights as Makoto trying her hand at enka which both Fumi and Otome had become rather fired up over much to Makoto's embarrassment; Fumi singing an English song in what sounded like near fluent levels; and Otome giving a startling show of her attempt to replicate the guttural sounds of metal.

While Makoto was busy trying to find some song she had heard recently, Otome found it difficult to sit in silence if only because she had a question that had been weighing on her mind ever since Fumi had sung.

"Fumi, do you miss being abroad?"

It was a bit sudden, but Fumi didn't seen phased and answered with a simple "of course" as she took a sip of her coffee.

"I wonder what it's like..."

"Why not experience it? If you go to England, I'll give you a tour."

"Haha, wouldn't that be fun? I wanna go with you!"

"Mako, too," Fumi cast a glance over to their friend who looked a little surprised by the inclusion.

"I don't really know any English, though."

"Not a problem. People visit here without knowing Japanese, don't they? They seem to manage. Besides, you'd have me with you," Fumi retorted as Otome put her hand around Fumi's shoulder in excitement.

"Yay! We gotta start saving!"

Fumi nodded at this while idly poking the straw in her near-finished drink against the remaining ice cubes. "Too bad there's no real opportunity to visit for work together. Yamato can give me all the funding in the world for research, but there's no real justification to go over there. Purely personal doesn't cut it..."

Makoto spared a glance up at Fumi to pitch her thoughts. "Yeah, but if we really did save, I'm sure we'd have enough funds in no time.

"Plus, I'm good at budgeting so it'd be no problem to draw up a serious plan!" Serious being one that could be seen through to the end as some of their proposed plans were rarely meant to be carried out.

"Hm, you guys really mean it, huh?" Fumi set down her finished glass of coffee, the ice clinking a bit as she pushed it towards the center of the table.

"Well, yes."

"We're both curious about your experiences. Surely, it must be a nice place if you think of it with such fondness."

Silence passed as Makoto tapped the stylus against the screen for the portable catalog, flipping through a few pages of the artists beginning with "w".

"Alright then. Let's do it. I would like to visit my host family again sooner rather than later."

Fumi couldn't hide the smile on her face upon the thought. Otome beamed at the response, giving her pal a squeeze on the shoulder as she spoke.

"They must be very good people. It would be an honor to meet them."

"Yeah... Yeah, they are good people." Fumi stared blankly off to the side briefly, before giving a small shake of the head. "Heh. Anyway, isn't it your turn to sing now? We're wasting precious time here, Mako," Fumi added on a "chop, chop" gesture directed at the woman which was copied by Otome as well.

As her previous search had been fruitless, Makoto tapped on the touch screen rapidly to input a quick choice while muttering, "Hold on, hold on-" before the song shortly appeared on the TV screen.

"Here we go. Let's sing together," Makoto handed her microphone over to them, grabbing an extra and testing it quickly before standing.

They both rose, Otome swaying a little to the familiar tune and Fumi clearing her throat to prepare for the song. The songs that they did know as a group were not so much born out of popularity as much as simply exposing one another to the song enough times that they had come to learn it by heart. As such, the three had come to associate the songs with being part of the routine whenever they did go out to karaoke and it almost felt wrong to not add them to the list as finales considering how many memories were now attached with such tunes.

After they had received a warning call about their time, the trio fit in one final song. They then proceeded with visiting the washroom as well as discussing what to do after this point as they all knew they could turn in and be content with a good five hours of sleep at least. However, Otome had protested as she didn't make it out this long usually, hence her coffee consumption in order to stay awake enough to make it to the next after-party. There was some deliberation on the matter as they left the room and headed down to the lobby. Makoto took care of the payment for the time and drinks as Fumi and Otome threw out some ideas of nearby bars to hit up.

"You know, I could go for something to eat..." Fumi mused.

"We ate a couple hours ago," Otome felt it was a senseless statement for Fumi was also well aware of having eaten, but she couldn't help stating the fact for reaffirmation.

"Yeah, and?"

There it was. Otome chuckled some. "I'm just surprised."

"Surprised? Come on, you know by now that when we go out like this is the only time I can be bothered to eat much," Fumi brought her hand down so both her arms were crossed comfortably with hands tucked warmly underneath.

"Hehe, I guess I just haven't really noticed then," Otome stuck her tongue out to emphasize her lack of attention to Fumi's food capacity to which Fumi simply mirrored the action.

"So where to?" Makoto came up from behind, leading the group to exit the building and out into the chilly weather once more.

"There's a place across the street before the next intersection that some other employees have mentioned to me."

"The closer the better," Fumi tossed her head back in Makoto's direction, unable to ignore the woman's teeth beginning to chatter due to the cold.

"I-I'm fine," Makoto's shuddered breaths floated though the air.

"You can borrow my jacket if it's too cold-" "Or mine." "No, keep it on. I didn't bring mine s-so-" "Yeah, but-" "I can make it-" "Otome, what if you catch a cold!" "You might catch one, too!" "Here-" "Take-" "N-No!"

In the end, they huddled together once again with Makoto squeezed between them this time as they collectively hustled over to the destination. Being past midnight, the temperature drop have been rather considerate so even a jacket wasn't exactly enough to stand comfortably for an extended period of time outside.

 ---

Upon entering the establishment, they were met with a loud greeting from the bartender and the staff as they scoped out a free table. One of the staff approached soon after, handing over a menu and leaving them to gaze at the choices. As it was, they had entered into karaoke at varying levels of buzzed but had quickly sobered over the period of excitement so perhaps another round was in order. They each came to their respective decisions and left Fumi to stare a bit longer at the food menu while Makoto waved over a staff member for their order.

It was further into their stay at the bar (about half of their drinks in and a few pieces of grilled squid's worth) that Fumi decided to ask something she had been wondering about for quite some time.

"Say, if you hadn't been recruited by Yamato, what would you have done?"

While it was easy enough to make assumptions, hearing from the source was the best means of satisfying her curiosity. Though, she also understood the fact that they were not at all obligated to detail such complexities to her. Their silence could speak volumes.

"Well- I suppose-” Otome spoke with an air of uncertainty, having not quite thought her sentence through before speaking. “I would have still been working with the hospital..."

"You wouldn't have left?" Makoto couldn't help the incredulous tone.

"Mmm, easier said than done. Despite everything that happened there, it was still a job and it's difficult to quit without knowing what's coming next, isn't it? As much as I want to say I would have left...”

"That's depressing."

"Hm, but it's my honest answer. Looking for something more uplifting?"

"Not necessarily, but it's unpleasant to know you would continue to endure your situation there had you not been scouted. I'd much rather you did give us the honest reality of it versus simply pandering to assumed ideals for the sake of pleasantries."

"As to be expected of Fumi, hehe. At any rate, that isn't what happened so what's the use in feeling upset about it!"

"True. What about Mako, hm?”

"Mmm... Nothing noteworthy. I don't like to think about it." Makoto was very quick to respond, not wanting to linger at all on the subject.

"Right! I can't imagine any other reality that this. It's too dark. Fumi might be the only one who could achieve her dream."

Otome quickly moved in to wrap her arms around Makoto in a loving manner, poking her head underneath Makoto's arm which made the woman relax her posture some. Makoto kept her arm around the woman as well, grateful for the closeness being provided.

Fumi leaned back comfortably, making a mental note for the future regarding inquiry into her colleague's history. It was rare that they ever put each other on the spot like this and it was become clear why they didn't often delve into personal areas. It wasn't unknown that the woman had struggled prior to her recruitment, but to what extent had never been addressed among them so Fumi had not known what reaction to expect there. On the other hand, Otome had a slightly better clue given that she had access to medical records and was more or less in charge of their well-being at JP's so the doctor's quick jump to comfort their friend made more sense.

"In that case, I would achieve my dream and recruit the both of you..."

Fumi could only offer that as a means to try and take their minds off the more upsetting aspects of the question she had posed.

"Aaah, Fumi's so generous!"

"I can't really think of any reason to recruit us in your case, but it is nice to think about."

"As test subjects. That's more than enough reason.” Fumi joked, ignoring the deadpan expression setting on Makoto's face. Otome's excited wiggling had also stopped, looking a little concerned by the thought. “In all seriousness though, I believe you two would eventually find your way. I don't think we would get along so well if this wasn't the case. You're both fully capable of achieving what you set your minds to so I'm sure someone would catch notice at some point just as Yamato did."

"I'm flattered."

"Yeah, you're too kind."

“Kind for speaking of mere speculations? I am at fault here for having asked a question about total obsoletes. We could talk in circles about it since it is all based on conjectures.”

They fell into silence after that, knowing full well that their imaginations could go on for ages and nothing could be definitively concluded as the current situation was their reality. It wasn't as though any of them longed for the other outcomes of course, but it was difficult to stop thinking about the possibilities.

Makoto was the first to break the silence, having mulled over her own stark alternate realities enough to bring forth her current thought. "You know, I guess we wouldn't fit in too well within normal society, would we?"

"You have a point. It is a bit strange to imagine trying to fit in... We don't have to worry bout it much here," Otome quickly jumped in.

"........ The thought is annoying. Normal society filled with mindless drivel... even if I were to work somewhere capable of meeting my standards, I would be expected to fulfill whatever expectations they might have outside of the base job requirements, wouldn't I? Ugh..." Fum's fingers tapped restlessly at the table, greatly discomforted by the idea of it.

"Mmmm, I don't like it much. I mean, working at the hospital... it's tiring have to fulfill gender and position standards on top of your own job. Luckily, there were so many people there, it wasn't exactly necessary all the time, but I suppose we all felt obligated to anyway."

Makoto stared a bit blankly at the table. Like Fumi, she had managed to escape having to really ever deal with such issues, but Otome was not quite as fortunate. It was always mildly upsetting to think about the pains her friend went through, but the fact that they were there together now was enough for her to stop lamenting over the past.

"The chief... Perhaps, it's because he is like us."

Makoto's words caused Fumi to break into an amused grin, the anxious tapping ceasing immediately.

"A misfit?"

Otome could not help jumping onto the idea, "Yamato took us in. Doesn't that make him something like our guardian?"

"Amusing. An empire built entirely of miscreants with talents, eh?"

"Put like that, you would think he would have named JP's something like 'Yamato's Home for the Gifted.'"

"'Home' is a little too forward..." Makoto could feel herself becoming drained as the two started to run further than she expected with the idea.

"Is it? Considering how he very well does live there, I wouldn't say it is anything more than the truth."

"... You have a point, but..."

Otome patted Makoto on the back at that. "It's okay, Makoto. We'll give you a break here soon enough."

"I-It's just... The Chief's 'Home' of all things..." Honestly, Makoto could not get over the idea of it, rubbing her face a little as if that was going to help her somehow. Even if she held some amusement by the idea, the woman could not even bring herself to meekly laugh at it.

"Ah, well, it is not as if you are the only one living with him, Mako."

"Th-tha- Fumi!"

Smugly, she looked off to the side as though she had not been addressed and Otome giggled at the banter before addressing their friend as well. "A break, Fumi. Our poor Makoto can only handle so much."

"Fiiine," Fumi drawled. "I'll save some of the fun for later today."

"I can feel the headache starting already..." Makoto was joking of course, but Otome reacted with genuine concern.

"Already? Better have some more water then, here-" Otome nudged the glass over to Makoto, prompting her to drink some immediately. Her attention went to Fumi at that point. "Are you sure you'll be fine tomorrow?"

"Haha, me? A hangover? Please."

"Fumi...."

"What?"

"Do you not get hungover?"

"The most I've had is a mild headache once, but that went away by lunch so no, not really."

"How does that happen when you've had as much as you usually do? My symptoms are pretty bad every now and then..."

"Well, it depends on a few factors according to various studies... The first hypothesis is that as our bodies process alcohol, toxic byproducts are produced which builds up to the point of excess and results in a hangover effect. Along with that is the fact that alcohol consumption provokes responses from the immune system leading to the classic symptoms such as fatigue and headaches. Not to mention the added complications of genetic makeup as well as body weight and the types and quantities of alcohol that are consumed. Though as you very well know, genetic makeup doesn't seem to have affected my hangover immunity as one would expect and I hardly restrict myself much when it comes to what I do drink so I guess you could say that I'm an anomaly at this point. Unfortunately, conducting studies and collecting data in order to further prove any hypothesis true for hangovers is pretty low on my priority list so nothing can be said for sure right now about it. If you are really interested, though, I might be able to bump it up a little on my list so instead of the far future it might be just the future that we will learn the exacts. Of course, that means I would need some volunteers to help me..."

"N-no, that's okay. It's more than enough information!!"

"As for preventing hangovers, the best answer is to simply not drink."

"But I like drinking with you!"

"Therein lies the problem. Alcohol consumption is rather pointless, but I can't deny that within reason it is nice to partake in drinks with good company. Unlikely to think that even I would fall privy to such activities..."

"Hehe, Fumi didn't expect to make good friends like us, huh?"

"I certainly had not planned on it, but I'm not complaining.”

They all found themselves smiling at that, unable to really find an appropriate response beyond that as it was not necessary to say anything. For each of them, it allowed a moment to briefly reflect back on when they had first met each other and of the impressions that each of them held prior to the one they came to have after actually getting to know one another. How strange it was to consider any reality where they did not meet one another or where perhaps none of them bothered to pursue a relationship beyond acquaintances. With that thought, Fumi swiftly finished the last of her beverage and Otome stared quite curiously at her, no longer able to keep the question she had on her mind from their previous conversation at bay.

"Fumi, do you mind if I ask a personal question?"

"Not at all."

"Were you scared to study abroad? I mean, it's tough to move, but adjusting to a completely different culture sounds difficult especially if you don't know the language so well."

"Hm. Not really. You could say new experiences don't phase me that much especially if it's going to benefit me in the long run. People are accommodating and willing to help so long as you make an effort. One can't expect to be coddled by mere excuse of 'not knowing' if you have the full ability to learn it as hard as it may be."

"You're tough,” Otome commented, which brought Fumi's attention onto her instead of the empty glass she was staring at.

"That's one of the more positive ways to say it. I'll admit that I was nervous meeting my host family for the first time as I'm not exactly the best with people so it was of some concern, but it worked out."

Makoto interjected at this point with a question she had also been sitting on for awhile. "Was your family alright with you going overseas?"

"My family?” The question caused Fumi to look legitimately surprised as she did not ever really think about that aspect of it. “Ah, right. To be honest, it doesn't matter much to me what they thought then. It didn't stop me."

Makoto sounded a small “oh” as she directed her gaze down to her own glass and Otome sipped her water as she also tried to think of how to address this. Since she was sitting across from them, though, their actions did not go unnoticed and Fumi took the opportunity to speak so as to try and ease the discomfort caused by the implications of her answer.

"Interested in my history tonight, are you? Not that I mind so much as we are friends after all."

"I probably should have thought my question through a little more...” Makoto felt she should have known considering how she reacted when anyone inquired of personal details about her.

Luckily, Fumi did not seem like she was any bit discomforted by the current discussion. "Ha, don't worry. There's little chance to offend me regarding such matters.”

“Don't feel like you have to talk about it, though,” Otome added.

“Noted. Anything else I can answer for you while I still feel open to satisfying any curiosities?”

The two across from her seemed to spare a glance towards one another. Makoto wound up just gesturing to Otome to go ahead and Otome set her drink down.

“You're not an only child, right?”

“Correct.”

“Oldest or youngest?”

“Somewhere in the middle.”

“Ah, I would have thought you were the oldest...”

“Why is that?”

“Well, you're so independent.”

“If I was the oldest, I would think myself more to feel inclined to look out for the ones behind me, wouldn't you think? Then, again, that is more dependent of personality in the end.”

“Hmm, I see what you mean. I don't really know what it's like to have siblings myself so...”

“Mako's an only child as well, hm?”

“A-ah, yeah,” Makoto was never really sure what clued people in on this exactly, but they were always right with their assumption.

“Did you ever want siblings?”

Makoto leaned back in her chair as she thought this over and Otome leaned forward with excitement at the thought. They did not really need to answer the question at that point, but Fumi waited for their responses anyway.

“When I was a child I would often tell my parents about wanting a little sister or brother. Of course, it never happened, but all the way up until I was in junior high school I kept hoping it was going to happen...” Otome laughed a little at the ridiculousness of it as even now part of her still wanted that sort of experience as impossible as it was to ever really have in an official sense. “I guess I realized then that even if I couldn't really help take care of a younger sibling, at least I could help take care of other people, you know? I think that's mostly what I wanted to do really.”

“Makes sense.”

“What about Makoto? Did you ever feel like that?” Otome looked over at her.

“Mmm.... I'm not so sure. I never had a real desire to have siblings, but I won't lie that it felt a bit lonely sometimes. I will say that it's also dependent on how you are brought up as well since my parents certainly felt differently than yours did about children and what they want for you in the end.”

“Oh, like what they expect you to achieve later? That is true... Mine didn't really tell me much about what they wanted of me so I was lucky that way. I'm guessing that wasn't the case for you...”

“W-Well, it's not like it was bad or anything...” Makoto had sunk lower into her seat at that point, arms crossed as she thought more about it.

“It doesn't have to be bad. If it affects you, it affects you. I cannot say how similar our situations were in that regard, but I have some familiarity in dealing with 'expectations' and having to disregard those in order to do what's best for yourself in the end despite how that changes the entire dynamic. It's never pleasant, but it's better to put yourself first as selfish as it may seem," Fumi only shrugged at the end of her short spiel, keeping herself from divulging much more as far as her experience went.

Otome had picked up on the implications of it, though, and could not help her concern at the mention, “It's not selfish if it truly doesn't affect the other parties, though...”

"Some might beg to differ," A tilted smile formed on Fumi's face at that, before she glanced at the time on her phone. "Anyway, ready to go? It's getting pretty late...”

It wasn't the best end to the conversation, but she did not feel like pressing the topic much further. Plus, it really was getting pretty late.

“Oh, you're right,” Makoto immediately straightened up in her seat as she also checked the time.

Payment was settled quickly enough and they exited the establishment, sticking quite close to one another. After standing, it became a little more obvious that perhaps they did drink a little more than they meant to for ending the night; Makoto teetered slightly and Otome was hit with a very sudden sleepiness while Fumi felt... pretty fine actually. She grabbed Otome's hand, which lead to Otome grasping onto Makoto's in turn, and they all traveled in a neat, little line to their final destination.

 ---

When they did arrive at Makoto's apartment, Otome immediately flopped herself next to the coffee table and Fumi took off her jacket. Makoto shut the door behind them before moving over to the closet to extract a couple futons. After readying the bedding, Makoto stared at it before looking over at Fumi who was trying to get one of Otome's arms out of her coat. 

"If you want, you two can sleep on this and I can be on the floor?" She started to get out another set of blankets to set down.

"There's more than enough space for all of us," Fumi responded plainly, having finally removed the coat from Otome. "Hey, wake up."

Otome did awaken with a gentle shake to her shoulder. "... Oh, is it time to go to sleep?" 

"Yeah," Fumi ushered her over to the bed and Otome slowly rolled to the middle of the two mattresses.

Once the two were comfortably situated, Makoto went to get changed out of her work attire and came back out to see them looking fast asleep. She turned off the lights and carefully slid into bed next to them, which had stirred Otome enough to latch onto her. Makoto had tried to roll off at that, only succeeding to get so far as lie on her side with Otome's arm now hugging onto her forefront. It made her feel a bit nervous if only because she was not used to people being close like this, but soon enough her heart stopped beating as rapidly and the heat in her face and neck slowly went away. It was not the first time they had all shared a bed together, but Makoto could not quite help her initial reaction to being in such close proximity.

"Good night," she said, quietly, so as to not wake them if they were asleep already.

Fumi's response was a bit delayed and sleepy while Otome just nuzzled herself a bit closer into Makoto's back. Makoto stiffened a little before smiling softly at the contact.

These were her friends and even though Makoto was not necessarily one to believe in higher powers, she felt certain that no matter what world they were in, they would probably still manage to find each other in the end. Thankfully, they did not have to worry about that as their reality was here and now, together in Makoto's apartment on her futons in the middle of the room. Makoto shut her eyes with that comforting thought and soon fell into a contented slumber herself.


End file.
